Contents
El Capitan Beach State Park | Introduction
El Capitan Beach State Parkbe located atSanta Barbara17 miles west of the beach, about half an hour away from otherCentral CaliforniaFamous sights such asSolvangIt is also quite close to the beach, which makes it a good place for camping. Although it is simply a beach, the biggest selling point is that you can see a large group of dolphins playing in the water right on the beach, in addition to the general sea view. The north-south location also makes the weather here very comfortable, and even in the height of summer, it is still cool.
I put together a simple checklist for beginners.
El Capitan Beach State Park | Campgrounds
- Comfort: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Camp Space: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Facility Cleanliness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Convenience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
El Capitan Beach State Park has more than 130 general campgrounds, although the number is quite large, but because of the El Capitan location of the good people, reservations are still necessary. Most of the campsites are very close to the beach, we got the most popular campsite with ocean view, right next to the trail, we could sit next to the tent and look at the ocean, our next door neighbor was so envious that she came to us and asked why there was no one to reserve such a beautiful campsite on the day before (I don't know, I only have these two days to come...). The weather in El Capitan Beach was actually very comfortable. When we came here, there was a California heat wave, and it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit in other places, but it was less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the campground, and even though we slept by the sea, it was still calm.
Although the view was great, there was a small drawback: the site was narrow and long, and although it was still big enough for two or three tents like the other campsites, it felt a bit like sleeping on the sidewalk with a parking space to the left and a walkway to the right. There are not many trees in this location, so it's best to bring an awning. If you come to this kind of campground, it's good to bring a simple canopy as a Sun Shelter. (Look on Amazon.) .
Our location is next to the observation deck, where many people gather in the evening to watch the sunset. Early in the morning, you can enjoy watching the sea by yourself.
- Hotel search: Agoda
- Activities & tickets: KKday / Klook / TripAdvisor
- Travel credit cards (US only): My card picks + beginner tips
☕ Enjoying my travel notes?
You can Buy me a coffee to support what I do 🙌
Beach Walk | Picnic | Dolphin Watching
In front of the campground is the entrance to the beach trail, we started walking from the campground and walked all the way to the Park Entrance. there are not many people on the beach in the morning or evening, and the beach is cool when you step on it in the morning.
On the way, we will pass by the picnic area of Day Use Area, I think the environment of this picnic area is great, each location is very big, and there is also a playground nearby. There are people on the beach who come early in the morning to fish and grill the fish to eat.
But my favorite part of El Capitan State Beach was the large group of dolphins that were playing in the water directly on the beach near the campground. These dolphins were literally standing on the beach and jumping on the waves right in front of us without even getting in the water.
- More camping stories click here
- For more Central California attractions, click here.
- For more CA-1 attractions, click here.
